Nottingham Forest could have had an Austrian superstar on their books, had they decided to keep Marko Arnautovic when he arrived at the Nigel Doughty Academy looking to impress the Reds coaching staff.

Now 28, the mercurial front man has revealed he had a trial at Forest 12 years ago, though the club decided against a move for the then-16-year-old from a suburb just outside Vienna, despite him scoring twice in a practice game.

Arnautovic is now West Ham’s record buy, after agreeing to join the Hammers from Stoke City in July for a fee worth around £20m, though it could rise to £25 with add-ons.

Forest's Nigel Doughty Academy

Back in 2005, a teenage Arnautovic arrived in Nottingham looking to secure himself a big move to England and ended up at the City Ground, though because Forest were looking for a player like Wayne Rooney, he recalls, the Reds opted against signing him.

“I scored two and made two assists,” said the Austrian, in an interview with the Daily Mail.

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“But the youth coach said they needed someone small and strong like Wayne Rooney. I didn't even know who Rooney was.

“I told that coach he would dream about me one day.”

After his foray on the banks of the Trent, Arnautovic left Austria to join ex-Reds boss Steve McLaren’s former club, FC Twente in Holland - something that despite his initial reservations, he admits was a good move.

Former Man Utd and England striker Wayne Rooney is now at Everton (Image: Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images)

“I had never heard of it and was saying I wanted to play for Barcelona or Real Madrid. But they sent me there because there was a good academy.

"It really worked," he said.

Despite having a difficult childhood where he ended up playing on the streets, engaging in fights and seeing two friends go to jail, the feisty front man admits he wouldn’t change anything from his past.

“I would change many things from when I was young but I am also happy and grateful that I am here," he said. "I am not finished. Things outside football have stopped me and I didn't concentrate or focus back then.

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"I am 28 and still not where I want to be. I am trying hard to get there and I won't stop. I want to show people — especially the haters — what I am capable of and bring this club up with everything I have got.

Marko Arnautovic celebrates scoring for Stoke against Man City“Don't judge me after four games. Judge me at the end,” he added.

And had he signed for Forest, his career path, which included stints at Inter Milan, Werder Bremen and Stoke, may have taken a very different course.